How Young Did Girls Marry in the Bible?

In this episode, Susan Ackerman joins us to explore the life cycle of women in ancient Israel, from puberty and marriage to motherhood, ritual impurity, and death. We discuss why childbirth made women “unclean,” why women occupied a liminal role in ancient Israel, the story of Jephthah’s daughter, the concept of social menopause, and more. Along the way, we unpack what archaeology and biblical texts can, and can’t, tell us about the realities of womanhood in the ancient Near East. 📚 Reading Recommendations Maturity, Marriage, Motherhood, Mortality: Women's Life-Cycle Rituals in Ancient Israel by Susan Ackerman https://amzn.to/43h1w6U ✨Become a Bible & Archaeology patron:   / bibleandarch   📚 Check out our online courses:   / 118539   ✉️ Send us your questions: [email protected] 🌐 Everywhere you can find us: https://linktr.ee/bibleandarchaeology 📣 Affiliate Disclosure: Using the links above may generate a modest commission at no additional cost to you and helps support our educational work. 🎙️ Credits Guest: Dr. Susan Ackerman Hosted and Edited by Dr. Jordan Jones Bible & Archaeology is a University of Iowa Office of Innovation production. The views and opinions expressed on Bible & Archaeology belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa or the State of Iowa. 🕒 Timestamps: 02:11 Exploring Women's Lives: The Stakes of Biblical Interpretation 05:39 Biblical, Comparative, and Archaeological Data for Women's Lives 08:43 Discovering Women's Voices Through Unintended Biblical Evidence 16:02 Understanding Women's Perpetual Liminal Role in Ancient Israel 22:31 Women's Role in Naming Children 29:23 Jephthah's Daughter: A Rite of Passage? (and Liminal Spaces) 36:25 Challenging Assumptions About the Age of Pubescence in Ancient Israel 40:46 Introducing Social Menopause: A New Framework for Women's Lives 48:05 Women's Roles After Childbearing and the Bible's Silence 53:53 Women's Eternal Liminality After Death 01:00:42 Dr. Ackerman's Inspiration